Chapter 21 #2
"They look good, and the combo behaviour was awesome.
I don't think they've ever done the entire perimeter before.
Great jackpot reward." Declan was beaming down at Riley, and as she gave a thumbs up, she turned back to the guests that were now in the water.
Two couples faced each other in the waist-deep water with a space in between where the dolphins would come and let them touch their backs.
Gray leaned towards Declan to ask a question quietly. "What's a combo behaviour?" Declan leaned in to Gray so he too wouldn't disturb the guests.
"It's when we put two behaviours together.
You saw Riley tap their rostrums, and they opened their mouths.
Then, when she walked slowly with them and motioned to keep swimming with their mouths open, she combined the open-mouth behaviour with the swim the perimeter behaviour.
Typically, it's chaos with those two turkeys.
They either swim a quarter of the perimeter and then race back to the trainer, or they do some random pattern and race back to the trainer.
It's hard not to react, but some days I just want to laugh so hard.
They did it perfectly today, which is why Riley was jumping up and down and giving them lots of praise.
All that fish at once is called a jackpot reward.
" At this, Declan motioned to Gray to watch the interaction below.
Riley was chatting with the tourists, going over how to touch the dolphins and where not to touch them, like sticking a finger in their nose.
This always got laughs no matter how many times the trainers said it.
Once Riley had gone over everything, she moved to the side and gave a loud slap on the water to call Nemo and Phoenix back to the program.
Gray saw they were a ways out in the lagoon, but as soon as they heard the slap, they quickly changed direction and went racing back to Riley.
But before they got all the way back to her, they suddenly stopped about 2 feet away from Riley.
Something was happening. Gray didn't know what, but Declan leaned forward and let out a low hiss while Riley cocked her head to the side watching the two dolphins.
Nemo and Phoenix were underwater, blowing giant air bubbles to the surface and shaking their heads furiously back and forth like they were the stars of a horror movie, silently screaming at something.
Declan abruptly stood up as Nemo and Phoenix jumped backwards out of the water, each squealing and took off to the far side of the lagoon.
The guests gasped, with those standing in the water bewildered by what had happened and why they were all soaking wet.
Riley glanced up at Declan as he grabbed Luna's cooler, calling down to Riley, "On it" as he left the observation tower, hurrying to the Luna's pen right off the walkway.
Riley calmly turned to the guests in the water as one of the older women asked, "Where did they go?" They were confused and wondered if the dolphins would be back.
As Riley looked over the guests, she motioned to the two fleeing dolphins.
"Well, it seems they won't be back. Don't worry, my partner Declan is bringing our lovely Luna out to finish the program.
" Riley pointed to where Declan was untying the rope for the underwater gate.
She gave him a small signal to wait before bringing Luna out and turned back to the older woman who'd asked where the dolphins went.
"Ma'am, can I ask you something?" Riley had her sweetest smile on, waiting for a response.
"Of course, dear, what is it?" The woman appeared to Riley to be in her later years; she guessed in her sixties.
"This will seem odd, but you don't have a knee or hip replacement, do you?" Riley was pointing to the woman's knee and hip as she asked.
"Why yes, I have one of each! Got my new hardware last year.
What a strange question! How did you know?
" The woman had an amused expression on her face, and everyone else listened intently, wondering what was happening.
Riley turned back to Declan and nodded as he let Luna out to join the end of the program.
"The dolphins let me know. They are used to seeing people every day, and they'll use their echolocation to quickly scan each person standing in the water.
When they scan and someone 'looks' different, it freaks them out.
Metal in the body is a big scary thing for them and pregnant women.
We have waivers that guests sign saying they are not pregnant, but there's always someone who lies, and the dolphins immediately rat them out.
They'll start scanning the woman's belly and doing what you saw Nemo and Phoenix do — the wiggles and jiggles and squeals and then poof!
Gone! If you think about it, for the dolphins, they're suddenly seeing two heartbeats, and for them it's a no go.
" As she finished saying this, Luna appeared at the dock, popping her head up ready for some fishy reward.
"Hello lovely Luna." Riley turned back to the dock as Declan set down Luna's cooler for Riley.
"Luna here is Phoenix's mom, and she is one of our old lady dolphins.
She's not fazed by anything." As Riley said this, she threw Luna a fish and moved her in between the guests.
Riley watched them to make sure no fingers poked eyes or noses, but out of the corner of her eye she was scanning the lagoon to see where Nemo and Phoenix had gotten to.
She was happy with how they'd done and, honestly, there was no way she could have known about the woman with the knee and hip replacement.
She was grateful they were the last group to get in the water, so at least the two young dolphins had had a great session until that point.
As Riley finished up the program, she spotted Nemo and Phoenix floating just outside the dock, and as the tourists stood up to leave, the young dolphins got vocal and excited. They wanted Riley to come see them and reassure them.
Declan came back to the dock once all the guests were gone to take Luna back to her pen.
"Well, as always, Luna saves the day! But until that point, the boys were rocking the program.
Who could have known that woman would have so much metal in her?
" At this, Declan and Riley laughed. Gray had come down from the observation tower and was about to ask a question when Declan motioned to him to follow.
"Come on, Gray, you can help me take Luna back.
I'll show you how the gates work, and then Riley can round up the young boys.
" Declan motioned for both Gray and Luna to follow him.
Declan showed Gray how the gates worked when they got back to Luna's pen.
Then, Declan and Gray turned back to the open lagoon to see what Riley was doing.
With no warning, Riley jumped off the waist-high platform and ran full speed and with a squeal launched herself off the other side of the dock into the water where Nemo and Phoenix were.
Gray gasped and watched as the young dolphins went swimming away as fast as they could, then turned on a dime and sped back to where Riley had entered the water but still hadn't surfaced.
Gray chewed on his lip, but Declan was howling with laughter.
"Where is she?" Gray asked after what seemed like a minute and still no Riley at the surface.
"Just watch" and Declan pointed to a spot where the water seemed to churn and suddenly Riley and the two dolphins burst to the surface, Riley had a hold of a dorsal fin in each hand and the young boys were pulling her through the water.
She was laughing and shaking the water off her face.
As she looked at Declan and Gray, she gave a nod, and Declan slapped the water.
The boys immediately turned towards the sound, with Riley balanced between them.
Gray watched in horror as they approached the dock at top speed, but then a few feet away, Riley let go of their dorsal fins and the dolphins dipped below the surface, popping back up in front of Declan and Gray.
'Wow! That was amazing! I didn't know they could swim that fast while pulling someone.
" Gray's eyes were wide, and he joined in with Riley and Declan as they laughed and cheered on Nemo and Phoenix.
As Declan threw them each a few fish, Gray watched as Riley gave Nemo a subtle signal.
The dolphin dropped below the surface of the water.
Riley was smiling mischievously up at Gray and, without warning, Riley was suddenly lifted up out of the water.
She gracefully stepped onto the dock beside Gray, who, not knowing what else to do, reached out to her.
But she laughed and turned back to Nemo, throwing him some fish and then motioning to Phoenix and Nemo to follow as she ran down the docks with them, jumping and laughing at their job well done.
"How?" was all Gray could get out, and Declan clapped him on the back.
"Gray, my new friend, we have so much to show you!"